The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Tay Garnett

Writers:

Harry Ruskin (screenplay) and
Niven Busch (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

2 May 1946 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Their Love was a Flame that Destroyed!

Plot:

A married woman and a drifter fall in love, then plot to murder her husband... but even once the deed is done, they must live with the consequences of their actions.

Plot Keywords:

Drifter | Murder | District Attorney | Murder Of Husband | Marriage

US TV Schedule:

Thur. Nov. 19

1:45 PM

TCM

Cast

Lana Turner	...	Cora Smith
John Garfield	...	Frank Chambers
Cecil Kellaway	...	Nick Smith
Hume Cronyn	...	Arthur Keats
Leon Ames	...	Kyle Sackett
Audrey Totter	...	Madge Gorland
Alan Reed	...	Ezra Liam Kennedy
Jeff York	...	Blair
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Philip Ahlm	...	Photographer (uncredited)
John Alban	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Morris Ankrum	...	Judge (uncredited)
King Baggot	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Betty Blythe	...	Customer (uncredited)
Paul Bradley	...	Man (uncredited)
Wally Cassell	...	Ben (uncredited)
Jack Chefe	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Oliver Cross	...	Man (uncredited)
James Darrell	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Tom Dillon	...	Father McConnell (uncredited)
Edward Earle	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Jim Farley	...	Warden (uncredited)
Byron Foulger	...	Picnic Manager (uncredited)
Joel Friedkin	...	John X. McHugh (uncredited)
A. Cameron Grant	...	Willie (uncredited)
William Halligan	...	Judge (uncredited)
Bud Harrison	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Officer (uncredited)
Frank Mayo	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Helen McLeod	...	Customer (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Howard M. Mitchell	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Sandra Morgan	...	Matron (uncredited)
George Noisom	...	Telegraph messenger (uncredited)
Garry Owen	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
Dorothy Phillips	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Dan Quigg	...	Man (uncredited)
Virginia L. Randolph	...	Snooty Woman (uncredited)
Paula Ray	...	Woman (uncredited)
Hilda Rhodes	...	Customer (uncredited)
Walter Ridge	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Edward Sherrod	...	Man (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Officer (uncredited)
John M. Sullivan	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Charles Williams	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
Tay Garnett

Writing credits
Harry Ruskin		(screenplay) and
Niven Busch		(screenplay)
James M. Cain		(novel)

Produced by
Carey Wilson	....	producer

Original Music by
George Bassman
Eric Zeisl		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Sidney Wagner		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George White

Art Direction by
Randall Duell
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Lewis	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor
Marion Herwood Keyes	....	associate costume supervisor
Helen Scovil Roup	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Ted Duncan	....	orchestrator

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's (produced by) (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1946) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (new 35mm print)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1947) (France) (theatrical)
• Rosebud (2005) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Emerald (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Canada:18A (video rating) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #11240) | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1996)

Filming Locations:

Norwalk Train Station, Norwalk, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This caused a stir amongst 1940s audiences who were shocked when it seemed clear to them that John Garfield uses his tongue in one of his kissing scenes with Lana Turner.

Goofs:

Continuity: The shadow of a jail bar falls on Frank's face differently between takes, showing that he had changed position.

Quotes:

Frank Chambers: With my brains and your looks, we could go places.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Ugly Betty: Petra-Gate (#1.20)" (2007)

Soundtrack:

She's Funny That Way

Atmospheric story of lust, desire and murder

Drifter Frank Chambers applies for a job at a road side café belonging to Nick Smith, only to fall under the spell of Nick's wife Cora. He falls into desire which leads to deceit and eventually murder. Too late he falls in love but by then things have gone too far. He tells his story to us with the hindsight of a condemned man.

A classic bit of noir light. Based on Cain's sexual novel this underplays the explicit references but turns the subtle stuff way up - the film opens with a `Man Wanted' sign, while Cora is so well played that there's no doubt what she's offering. Without the explicit sex of the remake this story is a lot freer to be interesting rather than explicit. The court case and the mistrust between the lovers is as good as the early desire giving rise to murder.

Lana Turner is excellent as the femme fatale, she is smouldering and very, very desirable. Garfield is also excellent as the man trapped in her web. The two are the very center of the film and are both superb. If the film has any weakness then it may be that modern audiences need more than very subtle stuff, but that's probably our problem rather than the film's.

Overall this is very enjoyable, it has a great sense of mood and builds well to the inevitable conclusion.